No Such Thing As True Love's Kiss
by Celtic karate
Summary: After the movie's last scene and beyond. Rated T for violence and mentions of other adult themes.


A/N: One of my longest one shots! I felt this had to be written and it would leave me alone. So now that it's written, maybe I can get more chapters for my other fic's typed or actually start expanding my story for Camp NANO. Please Read and Review for me, I love the attention.

No Such Thing as "True Love's Kiss."

Maleficent flew high above the earth, reveling in having her wings back. She felt freer having them back, instead of wherever the idiot king had them hidden. The guards and Aurora told her they were in a tower inside a glass and iron case. The guard also told her that as Aurora grew older and Stephan grew madder, that he would talk to the wings as if they were her.

She had laughed and said that it was not madness per see, but it was the madness of guilt. Stephan knew he had caused this. It was him after all who tore her wings from her body, just to get the human throne. Though she did know that not all the blame should be put upon him. She was to blame for the curse placed upon Baby Aurora, not knowing what effect the happy, beautiful girl she would grow to be would have upon my shattered heart.

By that point both she and Stephan had realized that there was no such thing as "True Love's Kiss," because he was the one to betray me and then I him.

But if that were true, then how did Aurora awaken. She had no answers but didn't seek them out; if she was to know then the answer would find her. She just wanted to reveal in having both her Beastie and wings.

A caw brought her back to the present and the fairy turned to see Diaval fly toward her. Smiling she took off, making him chase after as she tested to see what the wings could still do. They were still perfect, and her body still remembered how to hold itself when doing different maneuvers.

Finally she stopped and brought herself upright, like she was standing on the air, and let Diaval catch up. He flew around her, giving the wings a wide berth before flying off towards the Moors. Maleficent followed his flight with her eyes, seeing a head of bright blonde hair sitting on a hill, under the shade of a tree.

Feeling a little mischievous and in need of some fun she took off, flying as fast as she could before swooping over Aurora's head and picking her up before taking off. She laughed as Aurora screamed before laughing herself. The sixteen year old wasn't too heavy for the Fairy as they flew around.

Maleficent didn't try anything too dangerous but she did soar high in the sky before gliding low to the ground. They finally landed near the Moors as the sun began to set. Maleficent quickly made Aurora a bed from soft grass and conjured a pillow before letting the teen sleep.

She wondered to the gathering place where she had her throne and used her magic to change the thorns to vines before removing the garish black clothing she had worn for the past 16 years. Changing into the brown dress and leggings she had worn before her wings were stolen. Then her hands came to wrap around the black snakeskin cap she wrapped around her horns and hid her hair.

A soft cawing had her hands simply feeling the skin as she saw Diaval hovering over where Aurora lay sleeping. One hand lifted away from her head and Diaval turned into a human. She watched as he nodded to her before turning his attention to the sleeping princess. His jacket became her blanket as his shirt was added to the fluff under her head.

He then straightened before turning and walking away from the sleeping princess to the fairy. He inclined his head to her before sliding around and helping to remove the cap, letting the long brown locks free.

"You know, I quite liked that dragon shape," he said with a smirk and she chuckled, keeping the volume down to not wake her Beastie.

"Of course you did, it flew and breathed fire. A much more suitable form for you instead of the wolf or horse." SHe told him and he shrugged.

"WHat will happen now?" He asked and looked over at Aurora's sleeping figure.

"Stefan will have made our young Prince Philip his heir, as a woman cannot rule the kingdom," she said with a scoff. "I will give Aurora my crown as ruler of the Moors, and hopefully with their union our two worlds will be united." She finished with a smile before moving off to a patch of flowers.

She called upon skills she hadn't used since her childhood and wove some of the picked flowers into a crown before using her magic to keep them young a beautiful for as long as Aurora was Queen of the Moors.

She knew that at one time, a very long time ago, the Moors did in fact have a Queen. And whenever one queen abdicated to another, a new crown was made by the old queen, for the new one. Maleficent knew that she was descended from that line, and would have ruled anyway, she just ruled with a cruel iron fist, well not literally as iron would have killed her if left on her skin for too long.

And just as she knew that, she knew that the years to come would be only the first in a long era of peace. As she worked on the crown she thought about her life. And she realized that she and Stefan had been children and his ambition was what made him the man he died. And she thought of Aurora. She cursed the girl to punish her father, and ended up caring for the child. After all the child had never been afraid of her and messing with the three pixie twits amused her to no end; she never really liked them, even as a child.

She felt rather than saw, Diaval sit behind her and preen her feathers. After all they were encased for just over 16 years and consequently they needed to be preened. He had finished the right wing by the time she finished weaving the crown of the feathers and started on her left wing as she concentrated, bringing the magic she had left after her trying day.

She finished with her magic long before he finished preening her wing, but she let her body and mind relax. She was half asleep when he finished and he watched as her wings folded around her body, like a cocoon, keeping her warm.

Diaval stood watch, thinking of his life as a Man-Raven. As a man he would no longer be subjected to the abuse of cruel and mean humans, and as a Raven he had the freedom most humans didn't have: the freedom of taking flight. He had never been truly bound to Maleficent and he could have left whenever he wanted. He stayed because he sensed her broken heart and her need to know what was going around in the world around her. So he became her wings, eyes and ears.

He remembered the first time he saw her, in the castle ruins as a Raven. She looked horrified and glad of the company and the horror won out and she blew him away, or at least caused him to take flight. Then after she first transformed him, he was giving her some Raven verbal cheek and she shut him down. He then sensed her sadness.

Then after he told her of Stefan's coronation he saw her rage and knew that the new king was the cause of her despair and her madness. He watched as her heart completely shattered when he brought news of the princess' birth. Some part of her heart still Loved the man who betrayed her and she hoped that the child could have been theirs instead of his and someone elses' child.

He watched as she cursed the baby, making her hated lover beg for his daughter's life. Then watched as she grew to care for the child even as she messed with the pixies posing as her aunts until a day after her sixteenth birthday.

He really had enjoyed the dragon form, even the fire. Though he didn't like being shot at or tied up in iron chains; though they didn't burn him, as they did her. He thought as he turned from Maleficent to Aurora, watching as she began to toss and turn, a nightmare plaguing her dreams. He strode over and crouched near her head, making shushing noise and calming her down. When she was still he moved over to a tree, leaning against its strong trunk, able to see both the sleeping women.

He fell asleep as the night wore on, but woke with the sun. He stretched and noticed Maleficent was gone, but looking up he found her figure flying above them, stretching her wings and flying once again. Aurora woke up and joined him, smiling as she saw her "Godmother" flying, something she's never seen.

"Her wings truly are beautiful and strong," she said and Diaval nodded. "Did my father steal them?" She asked, her face frowning.

"Yes, he stole them by using an iron chain to cut them from her back." Diaval said, knowing what happened after she told why she needed him to be her wings.

Aurora knew then why Maleficent cursed her, after all she was smart. Maleficent must have trusted her father, if he could close enough to tear her wings from her. Then add the condition to the curses release: True Love's Kiss, and she knew that Maleficent loved Stefan.

Aurora forgave her godmother right then and there. Her godmother was more of a mother then her aunts or her absent royal parents. Both watched the fae flying above them as she dipped rolled and spun, soared up higher then they could see her before she dove, pulling out just above the tree line.

Seeing that they were awake she landed, her knees bending to absorb the shock of her landing, before wobbling slightly, unused to the wings after not having them for almost two decades. She felt Diaval start forward to hold he r steady but managed to do it herself, before becoming unbalanced again as Aurora pelted into her. The girl's arms naturally rested under the wings of her 'godmother' as Maleficent's arms wrapped around her Beastie.

The sound of a scuffle caused Maleficent to look up while moving Aurora behind her wings. Diaval had a human pinned against the tree trunk he had slept against. He forearm of his left hand was across the human's throat while his right was pinning him to the tree with feet off the ground.

"Diaval, keep him pinned, but let him speak," Maleficent commanded, and Diaval complied. The man wasn't dressed like a warrior but a messenger in plain clothing and his only weapon was a small knife at his back, out of reach as he was pinned to the trunk.

"Speak quickly," Diaval commanded in a hiss, his face a grimace. He was not going to let anything happen to his women.

"The king is to be burned this evening and Philip is to be crowned king. He has asked for Princess Aurora and her family to attend." The messenger said.

"We will come, but all the iron must be removed from the castle or it will be burned just as the humans burnt the castle in the Moors." Aurora said, not sounding like herself as she stepped around her Godmother's wings to face the messenger. The man nodded before being lowered to the ground by Diaval, and he took off back to the castle.

Maleficent smiled at Aurora before telling her that through the trees was the cottage she grew up in, fresh clothes and bath water would be waiting for her. She took off and Diaval was changed into his Raven form to follow and keep her safe.

That evening the three of them stood in the courtyard as the king's body was laid on the pyre. When everyone moved off, Maleficent shifted Diaval into his Dragon form and he let his dragon fire start the pyre, before the men could even light the torches. He was just as quickly back in human form, standing firm between Maleficent and Aurora.

He had draped one arm around the Princess' shoulders from where he was as one of Maleficent's wings did the same. The girl stood still, no sign of sorrow on her face. To her this man was not her father; he was only the shadowy figure who had caused her godmother true and untold sorrow. History would call Maleficent the villain but Aurora knew that it was truly avarice and greed displayed in the dead King.

For a man willing to harm someone he proclaimed to love, had no right to rule. For that is the man who would think only of himself, and not the people under his rule. Aurora vowed to never be like that. Though, it didn't look like she would ever rule anything with Philip taking the Human Crown and her Godmother ruled the Moors.

When the fire died down everyone moved from the courtyard to the Hall. And for some, including Maleficent, it was a bit like Deja vu, for this is where Maleficent, dressed all in black with eyes that glittered a sickly green laid her curse upon the baby princess.

And that same hall was where the king used Iron to trap the fae, and almost killed her; if not for Aurora finding her godmother's wings and turning the tide. A chaplin placed the crown on Philip's head and he turned and addressed his people, announcing his intent to rule with Regents until he knew the Kingdom better and was 18, instead of his current 17 years of age.

He wanted to slowly transition from the rule of Stefan to his rule, and he wanted it to be as smooth as possible. He sat in the throne and allowed everyone to mingle as he relaxed. He saw Maleficent smile at him and give him a nod before slipping from the hall.

Ten minutes later he watched as Aurora grew frantic as she searched the Hall for someone; he guessed her godmother. He moved to go to her, comfort her and watched as the fae's companion, the shape-shifter, reached her side first.

He stood back as the other man calmed her down, bidding her stay in the hall, while he went to search for Maleficent. Aurora agreed and the man turned her to face Philip, like he knew the boy was behind them. He swiftly moved from the hall and out of sight.

It seemed like hours later when they returned, taking charge of a sleepy Aurora and returning to the woods on the edge of the Moors. All three of them turned down the invitation to stay in the castle overnight, opting to return to their own home and their own people. Philip knew that even though the princess was human, she was more fae than human.

And so he watched as Maleficent waved her hand, allowing Diaval to take the shape of a raven as she scooped the girl into her arms and walked from the hall. THe guards would report the three of them simply flew off, Maleficent was not even slowed down by the weight of the princess.

They flew beyond the simple cottage in the woods, passed her tree in the Moors, passed the throne in the Moors, passed the ruined castle to the other edge of the Moors, where a simple cottage was. The cottage had flowers growing up all of its sides, with the vines trained to grow around windows and doors.

The cottage was well tended and lived in, judging by the smoke from the chimney. Maleficent changed Diaval back into man form allowing him to take the now sleeping Aurora in his arms, allowing his mistress to knock on the door. They only had to wait for a few seconds before the door was opened and a small old fairy opened the door and ushered them in without looking at them.

"Maleficent, this is a surprise," The old fairy told them. bringing them to sit on the massive pillows in front of the fire. Maleficent lowered herself down, sitting to make room on her lap for Aurora, whom Diaval lowered once his mistress was settled. Then he lowered himself behind her and started to preen the feathers of his Mistress again, catching up on 16 years of them being displayed and not used.

Their host/ess had vanished into the kitchen and came back with two steaming mugs of tea that was handed out. They then settled into a pile of pillows and began to speak. Their voice was raspy and Diaval couldn't tell if the old fairy was a male or a female, hopefully his mistress could shed light on their host.

"Now, Maleficent, you have your wings back," The old fairy said, dull grey eyes looking at the wings intently. "And you have two companions with you. One of them is young enough to be your daughter; though she looks nothing like you." Was added as the grey eyes looked upon Aurora's sleeping face.

"Yes Grandmother. I have my wings and Stefan is dead; killed by his own folly and madness," Maleficent said with scorn, and a frown appeared on the old fairy's face.

"And your companions?" She prompted Maleficent. The younger fairy nodded and looked to her left motioning for Diaval to sit next to her. He plucked one more stray feather and did just that.

"16 years has really did some damage to your wings, the dust is buried thick in the wings and the slightest breeze is enough to pull older feathers loose," He told his mistress as he sat next to her, on the other side of Aurora. "It will take time for them to lose their dull sheen and everything."

"Grandmother this is Diaval," she introduced and Diaval felt the old Fairy's magic probe him.

"You are not a true man or a true shapeshifter," she noted before glancing at Maleficent before looking back to Diaval. "What is your true form?" She asked.

"A Raven," he answered before elaborating. "Maleficent saved me from a mean human and his dogs almost 18 years ago."

"And so she used you to be her wings, watching over the Moors and spying on the Humans," Grandmother guessed, and both Maleficent and Diaval nodded. "And the girl?"

"This is Princess Aurora." Maleficent said simply. Maleficent had no need to elaborate more.

"Why are you here?" Grandmother asked.

"You are the oldest and wisest of the Fairy's, I was hoping you could answer a few questions." Maleficent said, looking down, her hair falling down, lightly tickling the princess who simply moved her head in sleep. The girl moved a bit before settling down when she felt Maleficent's fingers combing through the hair.

"What questions?" The old fairy asked, shrewdly. She most likely knew the question but wanted Maleficent to spit it out herself.

"How is she not in the deep sleep like death I cursed her to be sixteen years ago?" Came first though she knew the simple answer.

"True Love's Kiss," the old fairy replied, knowing that it wasn't the real question. "I'm assuming that a young dashing man, a prince perchance kissed her?" The old fairy asked, not having a messenger come to the cottage and rely recent happenings in both the Moors and the Human world.

"No, Grandmother, the prince's kiss was unable to wake her," Maleficent said, her eyes on her Beastie. "My kiss did." She finished.

"Interesting, very interesting," Grandmother muttered. Maleficent threw the memory at the old fairy, so as not to have to recount the event herself. She felt Diaval move back behind her and preen her wings again. The two of them waited as Grandmother sorted and sifted through the memory.

Maleficent was lulled to sleep by the breathing of Aurora and the rhythmic feeling of Diaval preening her wing feathers. When Grandmother looked up at them, a small smile found itself on her face. She stood up and left the room coming back only a few minutes later.

Despite being well over a few centuries old, the old fairy lifted the princess into her arms and carried her down the hall. Diaval followed and the three entered a modest bedroom, he saw the fairy begin to struggle with the weight of the princess. He moved forward and quickly took charge of the girl while the fairy turned down the bed. Diaval tucked the princess into bed. He returned to the sitting room, he patiently worked Maleficent's wings into their folded position before lifting her up into his arms. He carried her to the same room as Aurora.

He gently lowered his mistress' form next to that of her Beastie. He watched as the top wing unfold and cover the two females as he pulled the blankets around them. He returned to the sitting room and lowered himself down to the pile of pillows before finding sleep.

The next morning, light streamed through the roof of the cottage. Diaval was the first up. He slipped outside, watching the remainder of the sunrise. The old fairy was the next one up and he heard her moving around, but he stayed outside. He was unaccustomed to sleeping in human form, and felt stiff.

Maleficent was the next up and greeted the old fairy before seeking out Diaval. She found him outside rolling his shoulders in his human form. She felt bad for falling asleep before changing him to his raven form for the night. He must be stiff, she thought.

She went to walk up behind him, but before she could even move, he took off his black shirt and moved to a stream and dunked his head into the water. When he came back up to the surface, she watched the water drip down his back.

She was struck by how fit her former servant was. He turned to the side and saw her. He stood up and walked over to her. She watched stray drops of water roll down his chest. She felt as if the world had slowed down as he moved to her.

With startling clarity, she realized that she had, at some point, fallen in love with her winged companion. She smiled at him as he stopped a few feet short of her.

"Good morning, Mistress." He greeted her with a nod of his head.

"You no longer need to call me that," she replied softly. "You have saved my life just as I've saved yours. We are on equal footing now." She told him.

"Not quite." He said before gesturing at his body. He didn't need to speak for her to understand what he was trying to get across to her.

"You still can't change shape on your own," she sighed. She began to pace as she thought. The way she saw it, she had two options that she could easily do: do nothing os give him his proper form back. The only drawbacks to either option were that if she did nothing then she would have to remember to change him. And if she gave him his raven form back she would no longer be able to shift his form; he'd be a raven for good. And if he was a raven, then he could leave her and never come back.

But her other option was to ask Grandmother if she knew a spell or something to allow him to have control over his own shape. But it would have to be his own choice.

"Diaval, do you wish to be free of me? She asked in a small voice. He shook his jead, closing the last few feet between them.

"No, I do not wish to be free of you. I will stay your servant if that is in only way to allow me to have a human form around you and Aurora." He spoke vehemently. He watched Malevolent relief flash across her face.

"Diaval, why do you stay with me? I'd never formally bound you to my service. You could have left at any time in the last few years." She sounded tired and slightly afraid of his answer.

"I realized that, right after you first cursed Aurora," he said and sighed before continuing. "And it was at that point that I actually considered leaving you. I normally would never have served someone willing to curse a child. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized the curse was just an ends to a means; your real target was Stefan. The man who stole your wings just to get the crown."

"That night I also realized why you cursed his daughter. You had to have loved him on some level to allow him to see you asleep, vulnerable. And you had to have trusted him to not do anything while you were asleep. He betrayed your love and your trust. all to get the human crown.

"And so he then added another injury to you by marrying and sleeping with someone else; for a part of you still loved him, otherwise it wouldn't have hurt as much as it did. True love was now something you didn't believe in, because your 'true love' had hurt you so badly. Some part of you wanted Aurora to be yours, your child; with Stefan, because again some part of you loved him.

"And the Pixies gave her the gifts they did, which gave you an excuse as to why you were attached to her; when in reality you were already attached the moment you set eyes on her." Diaval stopped, noticing the tears on Maleficent's face. He quickly wiped them away before finishing his speech.

"You told her while asleep that she had taken the pieces of your heart. She really had taken the pieces of your heart that her father had shattered and lovingly put them back together. I have stayed with you all these years because I had hoped that you might learn to love again. And maybe, one day, you could love me." He finished, cupping her cheeks in his hands, thumbs stroking the high arch of her cheekbones.

"So because I loved her, and wished she was mine, I was able to reverse her curse?" Maleficent asked and Diaval nodded.

"There is no love on this planet more powerful than the love a mother has for her child." A new voice said and the two turned to see the old fairy walking towards them, her frail wings curled against her back.

"But she's not my child," Maleficent protested, moving slightly to face the old woman, but not enough to dislodge Diaval's hands from her face.

"No you did not bear her," the old fairy said. "But you wished you did, and you loved her as if you did bear her. And I believe on some level, she too loved you as she should a mother. And so the magic was appeased, and your kiss, light though it was, was enough to break her curse and awaken her."

Diaval moved to the side, allowing the fairy to approach Maleficent. The old woman cupped her cheek and made eye contact with Maleficent.

"I told you many times when you were younger, and I'll tell you as many more times as I need to undo what the old king has done to you; Maleficent, true love and any love will conquer all."

With that the old fairy walked back into the cottage, leaving them alone once again. Maleficent stood blinking for a few seconds before beginning to pace. Diaval just watched her, he knew better than to interrupt her when she was thinking this hard. He could hear her mumbling: "True love conquers all" over and over as she paced, when finally she stopped, and stared at Diaval.

"That's it!" She exclaimed before turning around and sitting near the stream. Her fingers made a list in the mud. Diaval moved to her, concerned when she suddenly went down and read over her shoulder: Raven feather, Dragon scale Human hair. She looked up for a second before standing up and heading to the house, motioning for him to follow her.

The old fairy had made breakfast and she served it to Diaval and a now awake Aurora who greeted Diaval with a big smile. She didn't see her godmother as Maleficent had gone to the opposite side of the house. The room was a magical library filled with books on magic and its laws.

She pulled one to her and opened it before reading intently. She added a few things to her mental list, she focused on the rest of the spell, memorizing it before leaving. She smiled before leaving. She entered the kitchen, snagging a piece of bread, eating it before leaving once again. She pulled one strand of her hair from her head and wrapped it around her finger.

She felt Aurora join her and smiled at the young woman. Aurora went straight to Maleficent's side, allowing the wing on that side to wrap around her.

"Good morning Godmother," she sighed feeling Maleficent wrap her arm around Aurora's waist.

"Good morning Beastie." Maleficent returned.

"Where are we Godmother?" She asked.

"We are at the cottage of one of the oldest fairies in the forest. She has a great library and is very wise. I needed her help answering some questions I had." Maleficent answered, seeing a confused look on Aurora's face.

"I wanted to find some way of allowing Diaval his freedom, and being able to control which form he takes," Maleficent answered smiling at the admission of her plan. "And I wanted to know why I was able to awaken you." She added softly.

"And have you found the answers you've been seeking?" Aurora asked. Maleficent nodded.

"I have, but I need your help. I need someone to pluck one of my feathers for me. I can't quite reach." She looked to Aurora who nodded before sliding behind her godmother and looked for a loose feather; she couldn't find one so she grabbed a random one and pulled, feeling Maleficent's silent cry and she felt bad for injuring the older woman.

But Maleficent simply smiled before asking for a strand of the princess' hair. The young girl did so and smiled at her godmother before returning to the house passing Diaval on her way back. The raven-human joined his mistress at the stream. He noticed the feather and looked at her.

"I have found a way to allow you to change your own form, hopefully," she said without preamble and he nodded. "We have to have everything we need before nightfall. I have some of it, but you have everything else I need." She finished, looking at him.

"What do we need?" He asked, hoping that it worked and he could shift forms for himself and still stay by her.

"A strand of your human hair, a feather from your raven form and a scale from your dragon form." She answered and he nodded before pulling one strand from his head and handing it to her. She added it to the strands she already had before shifting him into his raven form. He sat on her lap with his head curled into her stomach she she went through his wings, preening him before plucking a feather from him.

He squawked and she shushed him before letting him go for a short flight to stretch before returning. While he was gone she took both the hairs from herself and Aurora and measured them against the hair from Diaval. She trimmed them all to match before braiding them together. She wrapped the braid back around her finger before taking the cut part of her hair (it was the longest) and tying the two feathers together. She wrapped the remainder of Aurora's hair around one of her fingers before looking up at Diaval's return.

He landed near by and looked up at her. She nodded before changing him back into his dragon shape. He laid down so she could look for a loose scale, thankful that each form didn't influence the next, or she wouldn't have found one. With Dragon scale in hand she turned him back into his human form. She resumed her spot on the ground and used the braided hair to form a shape which she used magic to attach to the scale before ripping the edge of her leather dress to tie the scale to the feathers.

Then she took off into the air and flew deep into the Moors. She flew too fast for him to run underneath and so he returned to the cottage and helped the older fairy, who avoided answering his and Aurora's questions about where Maleficent went and when she would return. All she would say is that love and the moon will tell.

That night was a Harvest Moon, the largest full moon of the year.

Maleficent flew to the very center of the Moors. There she landed in the clearing where a crystal bowl rested on a stone pedestal in the very center of the clearing, marking the very center of the Moors. The sun had begun to set and she didn't have much time. She laid the talisman she had made into the bowl and left the clearing heading to the North and finding and picking up a small black rock.

She did the same with the rest of the cardinal directions before moving back to the clearing and placing all four rocks into the bowl with the talisman. Then she emptied her water skein into the bowl. She took a deep breath before using magic to light a fire that burned with gold flames.

She then stepped back and unfurled her wings before gently fanning the flames. When the were above her head she stopped and slumped down to the ground and waited until the moon was at its highest.

While she waited she slipped into her memories, everything she could remember she recalled, though she did focus on recent years. She recalled her conversations with Diaval, teaching him about his human form, while learning raven customs from him. The two of them watching the incompetent pixies try to raise the princess, her Beastie. Messing with the fairies and Aurora having a mud fight.

She recalled trying to reverse her curse, only for her own words to come back and haunt her. Aurora learning the truth, and running from her to the castle. That broke Maleficent's heart. She recalled navigating the iron thorns, to reviving Aurora to the battle and Stefan's death. She opened her eyes to watch the last bit of the moon's ascent to the apex of the sky. And to the moon she threw her hatred for humans, her hatred for Stefan and her disbelief in love.

When the moon reached its apex she looked at the bowl and spoke.

"North, East, South and West. Spoken from the center of my home, my realm. Earth, Water, Fire and Air, inside the very center of my world, my home. Feather from my stolen set of wings. Feather from wings I stole and bound. Hair from my head, and the head of my stolen wing. Hair from a girl cursed and healed by me." The flames went from a pretty gold to green. the same green as her anguished flame when Stefan had been crowned. The same flames that engulfed her and baby Aurora as she laid down her curse.

"Moon, great mother. Master of Tides and circles; please hear me. I chant not for me, but for someone who I have wronged." She cried, tears gathering into her eyes as she fought to change the flames back to their healing gold. She concentrated on her love of her home, her love for Aurora and her newly realized love for Diaval. And slowly the flames changed to gold. Then she spoke again.

"I wish for Diaval, who has been my faithful servant for almost two decades to have freedom in his form. During the many years of service he has been Raven, Man, Wolf, Horse and Dragon. But only through my magic and my command.

"He is no longer in my service, but if I were to release him with formal words he would find himself a Raven with no chance of taking his own choice of shape. I ask for the talismen in the bowl to allow him that choice for as long as he wears it.

"I love him, Great Mother. My heart has been healed by the human princess I cursed. I lover her and Diaval. Nothing on this earth is more important to me than them and the realm I call home. Please help him." She finished softly before softly lowering herself to the ground.

Her wings wrapped around her as she concentrated on her request and waited.

The moon moved from its apex and began to descend. Her golden flames waned with the moon until the moon lowered past her view, obscured by the trees surrounding her. From the bowl a great blast of air blew for a few minutes, then, water gushed over the bowl's edges and to the ground. And finally the earth shook.

It shook so hard it woke both Diaval and Aurora who were immediately concerned for Maleficent, who hadn't returned yet. The moved to rush outside but were stopped by their host.

"THis is something she must do on her own." She told them.

When the tremors stopped Maleficent rose from her seated position and looked into the bowl. Inside she found a beautifully small talisman. The wings glittered with small crystals while the dragon scale shone like the surface of still water. The leather she had used to tie the pieces had faded, while the braided hair had turned to shiny cord. A loop could be seen from the top so a cord could be used to hang the talisman around a neck.

She gently picked it up, finding warm. She slid it into a pouch at her waist before moving into the trees and climbing into one. She used her wings as a blanket and slept until sunrise.

She then took off into the sky and flew faster than she'd ever flown before, quickly reaching the cottage and her heart. She saw Diaval outside looking to sky, looking for her. A sad Aurora stood next to him, looking down, using her hair to hide the tears that were flowing.

Both feared the worst as Maleficent had not returned with the morning light as they had hoped. She flew over them, allowing her large shadow to pass over them, causing Diaval to look up at her.

When he saw her he smiled, and nudged Aurora. More tears fell from the princess' eyes as she saw Maleficent. The old fairy came out of her cottage and smiled up in Maleficent's general direction.

Maleficent landed near the tree line, giving her time to gain her balance back before Aurora pelted into her. She hugged the princess back and kissed the top of her head. Maleficent could feel the tears on her neck where Aurora's head rested and she pulled the young girl back and cupped her face in her hands, thumbs wiping away the tears.

"Why the tears Little One?" She asked, rocking them back and forth.

"I feared the worst. The earth tremors last night and you not coming back." Aurora answered, her tears slowing.

"Beastie, I will not leave you like that. Never." Maleficent told her as she pulled her back into her arms. Relief and love flowed through Aurora and it left her feeling tired; she hadn't made it back to a restful sleep after the earth tremor. And so she fell asleep against her godmother's shoulder.

Maleficent felt her weight drop and managed to scoop her up into her arms. She carried her into the cottage and tucked her into the first bedroom she found. After tucking her in and making sure she was comfortable and sound asleep she sought Diaval.

The Raven man couldn't be found, and Maleficent let him have his time alone as she looked for something to use as a cord for the talisman. She couldn't find anything until their host brought a long length of hemp rope to her. Maleficent smiled before threading the rope through the loop on the talisman. She made two knots, one on either side of the talisman before coiling the rope and placing it in her waist pouch.

Then she went outside and took to the skies, flying just high enough to fly above the trees, and low enough to search for Diaval. She found him looking over a cliff that looked onto the ocean. She landed a far distance away and walked the rest of the way, so he would hear her. He was kneeling on the ground, and ignored her.

She walked right up to him and pulled out her talisman and cord before kneeling behind him and fastening it to his neck. Then she stood and moved away from him before speaking.

"Diaval, for saving my life and the life of my daughter, I consider your life debt to me paid. I herby give you your freedom, in all aspects of your life. The talisman around your neck should give you the power to shift shapes and as I said before you may go wherever you wish, including remaining here." She told him before leaving him.

She turned back to him at the treeline and watched as both gold and green fire moved over his skin, giving her flashes of every form she had him be and every form she threatened him with until finally the flames faded and left him in his human form.

She watched with happiness as he stood up and threw his arms up laughing before he moved back a few feet and shifted into the horse form before galloping towards the edge before shifting into a wolf and leaping off the edge. She ran forward and watched as he suddenly flew across the surface as a dragon before diving and shifting into a water monster before rising out of the water as a Seagull.

He then spotted her and shifted into his raven form, let out a great caw before flying straight to her. She laughed as he flew and when he reached her, he circled her until he landed on her shoulder, and bumped his head to her cheek before flying a few feet and changing into human form.

They stood still as they locked eyes. Maleficent knew she would have to make the first move. So she took one step to him, and he launched himself at her, picking her up and spinning her around before allowing her to stand again. He hugged her and felt her return the embrace and his heart swelled. They slowly parted, and moved apart, though just as last time they didn't totally separate. Her hands stayed on his shoulders and his rested on the curve of her side.

He could feel her muscles tense slightly. She knew she was tight, and could hear their hostess' voice through her head and slowly relaxed to the truth of the words.

_True Love and any type of Love will conquer all._

And she leaned forward and kissed him. It was soft and sweet for only seconds, until his brain caught up with his heart, then he pulled her to him and slanted his mouth over hers and deepened the kiss. They sank to the ground, their lips never parting for longer than a breath.

A year later and King Philip had taken full reign over the human Kingdom and Aurora had been crowned Queen of the Moors. The two arranged a set of laws that affected both realms' denizens and negotiated peace between the humans and Fairies.

Phillip began to court Aurora in earnest, loving her and her gentle nature. Aurora accepted his courtship and the two could be seen walking late in the evening, a raven always following.

Diaval would keep watch, protecting his chick, as he liked to think of Aurora. Maleficent would laugh at her lover and tell him that Aurora was no longer a child and was a queen. She also said that she could do worse than Philip but no better than him. But Diaval still flew with them.

Philip approached both Diaval and Maleficent, to ask permission for Aurora's hand in Marriage. Both gave it and ten days later a happy, ecstatic Aurora showed off a pretty silver ring that had been knotted into vines with a single small diamond on it that now adorned her left hand.

A year later and Diaval walked Aurora down the aisle to Philip before sitting next to his lover, whose stomach was just starting to bulge with new life.

_No such thing as true love's kiss_ Maleficent thought with sarcasm and chuckled as Philip and Aurora shared their first kiss as man and wife.

_More Like Love will conquer all._ She finished before turning her head to kiss Diaval, their hands on her stomach, fingers intertwined.


End file.
